Development of National Language Policies in East Africa: The Interplay of Opportunity, Equity and Identity

A book chapter by Dr. Angelina Nduku Kioko, Professor of English and Linguistics & Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor (Quality Assuarance), School of Humanities and Social Sciences, USIU-A.Introduction Each of the five countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda – that currently constitute the East African Community has had to take decisions on how the languages used within their borders were to relate to one another in meeting the nation’s communication and development needs. Even where there are no specific documents that could be referred to as ‘language policy documents’, as is the case in many African nations, statements documented in educational reform commission reports, or in government declarations in local, regional and international political forums, give an indication of what the governments’ positions on language use are. For example, what is referenced as language policy in Kenya up to the present is inferred from documents on language-in-education decisions that were taken right from the pre-colonial period to the present, and from political pronouncements aimed at achieving either national integration or international presence. One common characteristic is that many indigenous peoples, associating their disadvantaged social position with their culture, are not excited about the development of their languages. In fact, many abandon their languages and cultures in the hopes of overcoming discrimination, to secure a livelihood and enhance social mobility, or to assimilate to the global marketplace. In this paper I first present the development of language policies in the five East African countries, then discuss the interplay of opportunity, equity, and identity in the decisions taken, summarise the gains thus far and propose a way forward in policy decisions.Introduction Each of the five countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda – that currently constitute the East African Community has had to take decisions on how the languages used within their borders were to relate to one another in meeting the nation’s communication and development needs. Even where there are no specific documents that could be referred to as ‘language policy documents’, as is the case in many African nations, statements documented in educational reform commission reports, or in government declarations in local, regional and international political forums, give an indication of what the governments’ positions on language use are. For example, what is referenced as language policy in Kenya up to the present is inferred from documents on language-in-education decisions that were taken right from the pre-colonial period to the present, and from political pronouncements aimed at achieving either national integration or international presence. One common characteristic is that many indigenous peoples, associating their disadvantaged social position with their culture, are not excited about the development of their languages. In fact, many abandon their languages and cultures in the hopes of overcoming discrimination, to secure a livelihood and enhance social mobility, or to assimilate to the global marketplace. In this paper I first present the development of language policies in the five East African countries, then discuss the interplay of opportunity, equity, and identity in the decisions taken, summarise the gains thus far and propose a way forward in policy decision